Apparatus for generating gas



(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. A. PRICE.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS. No. 363,481. Patented May 24, 1887.

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3Sheets-Sheet 2.

v (No Model.) J. A. PRICE,

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS- No. 363,481. Patnted May 24,- 1887.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. A. PRICE.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS. 7

No. 363,481. Patented May 24, 1887.

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JOHN A. PRICE, OF SORANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,481, dated May 24, 1887.

Application filed July 8. 18ft}. Serial No. 207,454.

To all whom, it 17mg concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A.PRIoE,of Scranton, county of Laekawanna,and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has for itsbbject to provide an improved apparatus for man u facturing water gas produced by the dissociation of steam into its component elements, forming a gas by combining one or more of t'heseelements with other products of combustion from beds of incandescent fuel through which they are passed, and finally fixing the gas thus formed, so that the product will be an independent highlycombustible homogeneous gas,of fixed quality, adapted to be principally used for heati ng,bnt which, by suitable carburation, may be used as well for illuminating purposes. 7

Numerous attempts have been madeheretofore to construct apparatus to produce a gas of the quality mentioned; but the attempts have almost invariably resulted inthe prod uction of devices more or less complicated in construction,uncertain in operation, and singleacting. I use the term single-acting to mean those in which there is no provision for reviving the bed of incandescent material through which the gas is passed in order to fix or render it uualterable when it has died down through the passage of the gas containing an insufiicient' supply of oxygen to maintain a free eombustion,without stopping the entire operation of gas-making and turning in an air-blast to start .the fire up again. A further objection to these prior devices is that a large amount of heat that might be utilized otherwise is lost by radiation and is absorbed by the walls of the furnace, performing no useful function whatever.

' My present invention consists, generally, of an improved apparatus embodying devices for superheating the steam, (and, if desired, gencrating the steam to be utilized in the apparatus itself,) a bed of incandescent fuel through which the superheated steam is passed for (No model.)

producing the gas, and in a second bed of ineandescent material for fixing the gas and rendering it unchangeable, the whole apparatus being ineloscd in a suitable casing and so arranged that all of the heat will be utilized, and that when the second or fixing bed of incandescent material dies down the operation can be reversed, the fixing-tire being used as the producer and the producing-tire as the fixer; and it further consists in novelties of construction by which .the invention maybe carried out in a simple, cheap, and expeditious manner, all as I will now proceed to describe and point out, with reference to the accompanyiug drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. on the line y y of Fig. 1, showing one of the furnaces in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line mwof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view showing the manner of constructing the fireehambers. Fig. 4 is a view of one of the gratesections mounted upon the hollow supportingbars, showing the manner of connection there with.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

As the producing and fixing furnaces are precisely the'same, I shall describe but one of them in detail, and the description will'apply equally to both, lettering the one on the right A, which, in the first instance, when being used as indicated in Fig. 1, is the producer, and the one on the left or fixer A, and the letters used on the fixer will be the same as those on the producer raised to the first power, and-this for convenience in description.

Both theproducing and fixing furnaces are placed within a suitable casing, A, constructed of any suitable heat non-conductin g refractory material, preferably fire-brick, and divided centrally by a partition, A so that the only communication between the two furnaces is by means of the pipe H, as will be presently explained.

The furnaces are constructed generally of cast-iron and fire-brick sections, forming a fire-ehamber orretort, B, with a grate, O, at the bottom and an ash-receptacle, b, preferably adapted to contain water in the ash'pit 0 Fig. 1is a sectional view taken V below the gratefto which access is had through a door, a. At or near the upper portion of the furnace fire chamber a conduitor pipe, D, extends upward some distance, having at its top a hopper, d,into which the fuelpret'erabl y culm or fine eoalis deposited to form the material for the fire, and adapted to be closed, when desired, by a stopper or cover, 6, placed in it, as shown in dotted lines. Communicating with one side of the passage D is another conduit, E", leading to a chimney or stack, through which the smoke and products of combustion pass from the fire in the grate when first started; but by provision of the valve or damperf therein it may be closed entirely when the apparatus is working and the exit of the products out otf.

Mounted upon the upper side of the body of the furnace A and communicating with the interior thereof are two tr more, preferably four, as shown, pipes or tubular sections, E, each provided with two or more enlargements or bulbs, F, adapted to be filled with firebrick or scraps of iron, and serving to retard and thoroughly mix the products of combustion and gases arising from the fire below and to offer a large surface to heat the steam passed around them, as will be presently explained; and these sections communicate at their upper ends with a common receptacle or commingling chamber, G, into which the said products and gases are discharged, this chamber also ofiering a large surface for heating the steam passing around it. At the side of the chamber and passing through the partition-wall is a tube or conduit, I-I, connecting the chamber G with the similar chamber, G, of the fixing apparatus A.

The furnace A is placed near the center of the space between the partition and outer walls of the casing, so as to permit of a free circulation of steam around it, and it is constructed of suitable sections, I, built up one upon the other. The sections I consist of cast-metal frames, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, having the recesses h h at the sides and ends and the corresponding internal projections, h h, adjacent to them. On their lower sides the sections are provided with the overlapping flanges i 1', forming recesses, into which the upper end of the preceding section fits, forming a tight joint between them, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, preventing their lateral displacement.

The sections may be secured together in any suitable manner by tie-rods or otherwise; but as a means for securing them, and to provide a fire-chamber having advantages adapting it particularly to the uses to which it is to be put, I insert into the recesses h fire-bricks 2', extending out flush with the intermediate pro- 7 ject-ions, h, thereby forming a smooth wall for the interior, composed of alternate iron and refractory'fire-brick panels, the bricks also serving to bind the sections together. If desired, these recesses may be formed dovetailed and the bricks correspondingly shaped and of a length greater than the depth of a section, so as to more firmly bind them together; but I prefer the plain brick, as it enables me to remove a lower brick and insert a new one with out removing the one above it, as would be necessary were the bricks orsect ions dovetailed together, as above described.

j represents the grooves formed on the outsides ofthe furnace by the rear sides of the 1101- low projections h, and these are converted into vertical passage-ways by the plates j placed over them, as shown; or, if desired, a metal or other casing may be placed entirely around the furnace, servingto hold the sections together and to close the outer sides of the grooves and form the passages. The lower ends of these veitieal passages open into the aslrpit, while the upper ends are all open into the chamber in which the furnace is placed, so that the only entrance for steam to the ash-pit is down these passages j, and then it may pass up through the tire. The steam passing down the passages will be highly heated by contact with the hot wall of the projection h, and at the same time the latter will be somewhat cooled by the steam and will be prevented from warping, thus serving a double purpose.

The advantages of a fire chamber construeted as above will of course be obvious, as alternate sections of fire-brick and iron are used, effectually preventing the destruction of the walls by burning and warping, as the metal sections are cooled on one side'by the steam, while, the fire-brick will form, practically, indestructible sections.

In order to practically carry out this continuous process of making gas, it is necessarv to close the device hermetically, as will lief-a1 ther on explained, and some suitable form of grate should be devised to keep a clean firesurlaee exposed, as any accumulation of ashes in the tire would tend to the production of an inferior quality of gas. Accordingly, I have devised the grate now about to be described, which, however, can as well be applied to ordinary grates for furnaces with good results. This grate is represented by the letter O, and consists of two or more pairs of revolving grate bars, each composed of a tubular shaft, 70, slotted, as shown in Fig. 4, and having sections or wheels Zmounted thereon, constructed with the central perforation corresponding in size to the external diameter of the tube, and provided with the internally-projecting lug in, extending through the slot on the tubular shaft. These sections may be kept separated by small lugs m, formed thereon, as-shown, or in any othersuitable manner. The periphery of these sections is provided with a series of teeth or projections, :0 as, or is roughened in any suitable manner, so as to form a number of small recesses, which serve to withdraw the ashes and cinders from the bottom of the fire as the bars are revolved. The sections are placed upon the shaft by being slipped onone end with their lugs in the slot, as will be readily understood.

The shafts bearing the grate-sections are geared together in any suitable manner, and are driven from a common motor continuously, so that by their revolution ashes and cinders will be drawn from the bottom of the'fire and deposited in the ash-pit by the projections on the sections. This driving connection may be made by gearing the sections together in pairs and mounting on the shaft of one of the pairs a worm wheel engaged by a worm on a shaft common to all the pairs of sections, as shown in Fig. 2, or in any other suitable manner, the essential feature being that the sections shall rotate and draw ashes from the bottom of the fire continuously, so as to have a fresh, bright fi resu rface.

K represents a large pipe or conduit communicating with the interior of the chamber in which the furnace A is placed and leading to the gas holder or receptacle. These conduits are provided with valves L near their lower ends, so that communication with the main may be shut off when the operation of the apparatus is reversed. Near the lower end of this conduit a steam-pipe, M, projects through and into the chamber for supplying the steam necessary for the manufacture of the gas, which latter passes around the furnace and is highly heated thereby before passing through the furnace. A suitable valve, N, is provided in the steam-pipe, which may be connected withthc valve L, if desired, by suitable mechanism adapted to operate so that when the main-valve L is closed the steam will be turned on, and vice versa; and the valves N and N may also be placed closer together and connected, so that as the steam in the generator A is turned on and the valve L closed the valve L would be-opened and the steamvalve N closed, as will be readily understood.

The construction of the device as a whole and of the various details having been described, it only remains to describe the operation and capabilities of the apparatus.

The first operation necessary is to build fires in both of the firechambers A and A, the fuel being placed in them through the conduitsD D, and a direct draft being provided through orifices into the aslrpit, normally hermetically closed, and out through the direct-draft conduits E E atthetop ofthe fire-chamber. \Vhen the fuel has reached a state of ineandescenee, the valves in the direct-draft conduits and the orifices communicating with the ash-pit are closed tightly. If the operation is to be conducted as indicated in Fig. 1, the valve L is closed, the corresponding valve, L, in the opposite side opened, establishing 'communica tion with the main or gas-washer,andthesteamvalve N opened, admitting steam to the chamber surrounding the furnace A. The steam passes up and around the upper portion of the furnace, between the pipes F containing the bulbs, and becomes highly heated, then passes down through the conduits j of the sections of thefurnacefire-chamberin contactwith the redhot plates of the sections, becoming still more highlyheated,and then enters the ash-pitof the furnace andpasses up through the bed of incangen, and highly combustible) and carbonic' acid, C0,,(one part of carbon and two of oxygen, and entirelyincombustible.) The gas thus produced is'not fixed in its character, but is liable to lose its'combustible quality. After passing through the furnace the gas, having an extremely high temperature, is carried up through the enlargements, being retarded and thoroughly mixed and heated by the fire-bricks or iron scraps therein, and serving to heat these enlargements, so that they may in turn heat the steam passing around them on its way to the furnace. As before stated, all these pipes F communicate with the chamber G, through which latter the gas passes, and then through the corresponding chamber, G, of the fixing apparatus A, down through the pipe F, being again thoroughly mixed and heated in the latter, to the bed of fuel in the chamber B. In passing through this fuel the carbonic acid produced by the first fire is recarburized, or the carbonic acid takes up another part of carbon and becomes carbonic oxide, and at the same time all the gas is fixed as an independent homogeneous gas. This passage through the second bed of fuel also causes the gas to be slightly carbureted-that is to say, it will absorb and carry with it t he heavy hyd rocarbons generated from the coal. After passing through the bed of fuel into the ash-pit the gas makes its escape up the passages j in the fixing-furnace (corresponding to those of the producer A) off into the chamber, and. from thence out the passage K to the gas holder or washer.

By the continuous operation of theapparw tus in one direction the fire in the chamber B is causedto die down considerably, and is ordinarily revived only by stopping the operation of gas-making and turning on the direct air-blast; but by my invention I am enabled to keep up the operation of gas-making, and at the same time revive the fire. This operation is accomplished by closing the valves L and N and opening the valves L and N, whereupon the steam will fill the chamber containing the furnace A, become superheated by contact with the hot tubes leading to chamber G, pass down the passages j to the ash-pit, through the tubes F, containing the bulbs, and be thoroughly mixed therein, to the now fixer A, through the fire therein and out into the chamber in which the furnace is located, and then off through the main K to the gas-holder. This reversing operation can be practiced as often as desired by the simple manipulation of the valves described. As soon as the fixing-fir dies down the operation can be reversed and the oxygen of the steam be utilized to feed that fire for a time.

Fuel can be supplied the fires from time to time through the hoppers D at the top of the furnaces, any suitable covers being employed for preventing the exit of gas or other products-such as are employed in blast-furnaces, for instance. Thefuel employed is preferably culm or line coal, although any other may be used, if desired. 7

From the above description the advantages of my invention will be at once apparent, and the various details assist in making a more perfect and complete operation. For instance, the contimiously-revolving gratebars keep a new bright fire-surface constantly and prevent the accumulation of ashes, which would greatly diminish the effectiveness of the device. The provision ofthe water in the asli-pitalso serves to arrest a large proportion of the dust caused by the rapid passage of the gas and products through the tires, and the vapor generated by its proximity to the tire will also pass into the fire, while the peculiar construction of the grate-bars adapts them to be used in positions where subjected to great heat, and at the same time be prevented from warping and getting out of shape or clogging with cinders.

The advantages of incasing the entire apparatus, so that all the heat generated in it will perform some useful purpose, either to generate the steam, superheat it, produce the gas, or fix it, is a great one, saving a large percentage of fuel, rendering the operation shorter, &c.

If desired, instead of the sections of fire.

brick placed in the internal recesses in the firepot, vertical tubes may be employed, through which water is passed, and thus it will be seen will be practically indestructible and will answer all the purposes for which fire-brick are used, although I prefer the latter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1 ,1. In an apparatus for manufacturing watergas, the combination of a chamber into which steam is admitted, a furnace containing a bed of incandescent fuel located within said chamber and communicating therewith, a second chamber having a second independent furnace containing a bed of incandescent fuel located therein and communicating therewith, and a conduit or passage-way connecting the two f u rnaces, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus forinanufacturingwatergas, the combination, with the two chambers, of the two furnaces located therein having supports for a bed of fuel, connections between each chamber and its furnace on one side ofthe fuel-support only, and a suitable conduit connecting the two furnaces on opposite sides from those communicating with the chambers in which the furnaces are located,substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing watergas, the combination, with the two chambers, each having a furnace provided with afuel-support therein, the chambers communicating with one side of the fuel-support, of a conduit connecting the two furnaces on the side of the fuel-supports opposite to that with which the chamber communicates, means for intro' ducing steam into either of said chambers, and means for connecting either of said chambers with the gas holders or mains,substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for manufacturing watergas, the combination, with the two chambers, each having a furnace therein provided with a fuel-support, the chambers communicating with one side of the fuelsupport in the fur nace, of a conduit connecting the two furnaces on the side of the fuel-support opposite to that which the chambers communicate, a mixing device located in said conduit, means for intro ducing steam into either of said chambers, and means for connecting either of said chambers with gas holders or mains, substantially as de scribed.

5. In an apparatus for manufacturing watergas, the combination, with the two chambers, each having a furnace therein provided with a fuel-support, the chambers communicating with one side of the fuel-support in the furnace, of the conduit or conduits having the enlargements filled with sections of fire-brick or other refractory material connecting the two furnaces on the side of the fuel-support opposite to that with which the chambers communicate, means for supplying steam to either of said chambers,and. means for connecting either of said chambers with gas holders or mains, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for manufacturing water gas, the combination, with the two chambers, each having a furnace therein constructed with the vertical passages down the sides thereof, open at their upper ends and communicating at their lower ends'with the ash-pit of the furnace, of the conduit or conduits connecting the two furnaces at the top, means for admitting steam to either of said chambers, and means for connecting either of said chambers with gas holders or mains, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for manufacturing watergas, the combination, with the two chambers, each having a furnace therein constructed with the vertical passages down the sides thereof, open at their upper ends and communicating at their lower ends with the ash-pit of the fun nace,of the conduit or conduits having enlargements filled with fire-brick or some other refractory material connected with thetop of the furnace and within the chamber, smaller chambers or receptacles with which the conduits communicate, a conduit connecting the smaller chambers of each furnace, means for admitting steam to either of the chambers containing the furnaces, and means for connecting either of said. chambers with gas holders or mains, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a furnace having a closed ash-pit, of the fire-chamber havingits internal surface composed of alternate sections of refractory material and metal and channels formed in part by the metal wall of the firepot connecting with the ash-pit, whereby air or steam admit-ted to or coming from the ashpit passes through the channels and is heated by contact with the walls thereof, substantially as described.

9. In a gas-generator, the improved section for the fire chambers having a series of alter nate internal projections and recesses, aseries of external projections and recesses formed by the rear sides of the first-mentio ned series, and firebricks or panels of refractory material placed within the internal recesses, whereby the internal surface of the section will be composed of alternate sectionsof fire-brick or other refractory material and metal, the rear side of the latter beingexposed to the air, so as to prevent warping, substantially as described.

10. Ina gas-generator, the improved firechamber composed of superposed sections having the flanges at one end, the internal projections and recesses, the firebricks or panels of refractory material placed in the recesses, the outersides of theinternal projections forming vertical grooves, and plates adapted to cover the grooves on the outer side, thus form-' ing vertical channels communicating at their lower ends with the ash-pit, substantially as described.

11. In a gas-generator, the improved firechamber consisting of superposed sections, each having the flanges at one end, the alternate internal projections and recesses, the firebricks or panels of refractory material placed in the recesses, the outer sides of-the internal projections being exposed, substantially as described. 5

12. The combination, with an inclosing-chamber, a furnace having a fuel-support located therein and communicating therewith on one side of the fuel-support, a conduit on the other side of the fuelsupport and withinthe cham- 5o ber, through which the products of combustion pass, and means for admitting steam to the chamber, whereby the steam admitted to the interior of the chamber will be superheated by contact with the exterior of the furnace and 5 5 conduit for the products of combustion, and will then pass into and through the furnace, substantially as described.

13. The combiuation,with aninclosing-chamber, a furnace having a fuel-support located therein and communicating therewith on one side of the fuel'support, a conduit on the other side of the fuelsupport and within the chamher having bulbs or enlargements, through which the products of combustion pass, and 6 means for admitting steam to the chamber, substantially as described.

14. The combination, with the closed chamber, a furnace having a fuel-support located therein and communicating therewith on one side of the fuel-support, a conduit on the other side .of the fuel support and within the chamher through which the products of combustion pass, means for admitting steam to the inclosing-chamber, and a suitable furnace connected 7 5 

